The government is now providing COVID-19 vaccines free of charge, at the expenses of frontline medical personnel and institutions, according to some doctors. A Banqiao clinic insisted on charging fees to vaccine recipient and was therefore at odds with the health department.
People obtain the instruction for COVID-19 vaccination and the yellow card and then proceed to fill out a health evaluation form. After the doctor's assessment and confirmation, they can get vaccinated. Starting June 7, the government started providing COVID-19 vaccines with no out-of-pocket cost to recipients. However, this has drawn backlash from the medical community.
Lin Ying-jan, Chairperson, Primary Care Association："Numerous clinics have backed out of the vaccination program. The CECC said yesterday that the clinics need to reach a certain target in order to be subsidized, which is completely different than what it had said previously, which was to subsidize NT$40 registration fee for each person. If the central government decides to treat everyone to a meal, then it needs to pay up. It can't ask the primary care clinics and medical facilities to pay the bill. "
A primary care physician says more manpower is needed to process the vaccination reservation, the logging of data, and the monitoring of the vaccinated person. The clinics, however, need to bear the extra labor cost themselves. Some clinics even had to purchase the 1cc empty syringe on their own for the vaccination. Although the Legislative Yuan has passed a relief budget of NT$840 billion, of which, NT$4 billion are to be used to cover the administrative fees for medical facilities for administering the COVID-19 vaccines, only NT$100 is being subsidized for each vaccine. Moreover, clinics and hospitals are ordered not to charge registration fees. A pediatric clinic in Banqiao, New Taipei City has decided to charge registration fees, but has been notified by the City's Health Department that its vaccine allotment has been suspended.
Huang Kuan-chieh, Sec. Chief, Disease Control Section, New Taipei City："We have engaged in continuous communications with the clinic, but couldn't reached a consensus. After discussing with the central government, the City's Health Department has decided to suspend the supply of COVID-19 vaccines starting July 21."
In response, the Central Epidemic Command Center says the NT$100 subsidy is specifically offered to the COVID-19 vaccination program, there are other incentives to be awarded to those who have reached a certain target number of vaccinations. In addition, the clinics weren't being subsidized NT$100 for administering other vaccines in the past. However, if people are seeking medical assessment for other health conditions while receiving the COVID-19 jab, then the clinics can still charge the registration fee.
向工作人員領取接種須知、小黃卡，並填寫接種評估單，接著再由醫生問診確認沒問題後就能接種新冠疫苗，6月7日起，指揮中心宣布，全台民眾接種COVID-19疫苗不必負擔任何費用，但卻陸續引發醫界反彈聲浪。
基層醫療協會理事長 林應然表示：「已經有退出了(施打新冠疫苗)，沒有錯。根據中央疫情指揮中心，昨天的說法，是說他還要符合什麼，打到一定的標準才給付。跟之前說法，說40元是補助掛號費，是完全不同。就是本來是說，你今天中央政府，你要請客。你就要付錢嘛！不是你請客，叫基層醫療院所去買單。」
基層醫療醫師表示，施打新冠疫苗比流感疫苗或一般常規疫苗更複雜，不但得增加許多人力來處理預約系統、資料登打，還要關懷民眾接種後身體狀況，所衍生出來的人事、加班費通通是診所買單，且不少診所還自掏腰包買無殘餘劑1cc空針，雖然之前立院通過紓困預算8400億中，有40億元是要支付給醫療院所施打新冠疫苗的行政費用，但每劑疫苗處置費只補助100元，又下令不准收掛號費，現在新北板橋就有醫師打算收掛號費，卻遭衛生局通知，停止配發疫苗。[翻攝自張博揚小兒科診所臉書]
新北市衛生局疾管科長 黃冠傑表示：「近日，經持續與該診所溝通，無法達成共識。與中央研討後，從7月21日起，暫停提供(新冠)疫苗。」
針對有基層診所反彈打疫苗不能收掛號費、只能拿到100元處置費，指揮中心表示，100元行政作業費用，是特別針對新冠肺炎疫苗接種編列預算，還另有編列獎勵金，接種到一定目標數量會額外發給獎勵金，過去診所接種其他疫苗並沒有這100元處置費，且民眾如果到診所接種疫苗，還有其他症狀來看病，還是可收掛號費。
